Duchy of Brittany

The Duchy of Brittany was a medieval feudal state that existed in Brittany from 939 to 1547, with Nantes and Rennes serving as its historic capitals. Its border with France was demarcated by the Loire River, and it bordered Normandy and other French provinces to the east. The duchy was founded after the expulsion of Viking armies from the region in the mid-10th century, with Alan II of Brittany succeeding in ousting the Vikings and creating an independent state. Henry II of England invaded Brittany in the mid-12th century and became Count of Nantes in 1158, and the Angevins remained in control of Brittany until 1204, when the Kingdom of France destroyed the Angevin Empire. France maintained its influence over the duchy for the rest of the 13th century, and civil war broke out in the 14th century as rival factions vied for control off the duchy. In 1488, the death of Francis II of Brittany led to the decline of the duchy, and Brittany was united with France by marriage before being united through a vote of the Estates of Brittany in 1532. In 1547, Henry II of France was the first King of France to also be the hereditary claimant of Brittany, linking France and Brittany for perpetuity.